Lighting apparatus.



. EDMUNDS.

LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12,1914.

Patented June 30, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

SJ M De M13010 wi weooao W. H. EDMUNDS.

LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.1Z,1914.

Patented June 30, 1914.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

WILLIAM HOVEY IElDlllITJ'NDS OF LEESBURG, VIRGINIA.

LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30,1914.

Application filed February 12, 1914. Serial No. 818,282.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HOVEY Enarcnos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leesburg, in the county of Loudoun and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Ap aratus, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to improvements in lighting apparatus particularly adapted for motor vehicles, and especially to means for dimming the light rays at will.

The desirability of having powerful lights for traveling in the unlighted or poorly lighted districts of cities and the necessity for the same on country roads is too well known to need mentioning, but the use of these lights in. the congested districts is not only unnecessary but dangerous to such an extent as to call for prohibitory legislation in many of our cities at this'date. The problem has been to. provide lighting apparatus which may readily be controlled by the operator of the vehicle so as to meet these two conditions and various arrangements have been proposed such as the provision of independent electric bulbs of difi'erent power supplied by a source of electric current which through the instrumentality of a switch may be turned from one to another; or a single light bulb with the circuit arrangement for connection of the current in series and parallel, accomplishing the same function; but these arrangements are, first, expensive in installation, and secondly, costly with respect to utilization of power. Again it has been customary to partially or wholly cloud the light rays by coating the glass of the head light with various substances such as a soapy solution, white wash, and the like, to accomplish the necessary diffusion of light for. the restricted districts, but this requires that the vehicle be brought to a stop to enable the glass to be cleaned when the full benefit of the lights is desired, and such cleansing precludes the dimming of the rays when the vehicle returns to the restricted district during the same tri There ore. it has been my object to pro vide means for difi'using the light in a most effective manner by moving in front of the lamps a screen or curtain, not of opaque material. but such fabric as will diffuse the stopping the vehicle, it being especially my aim to so arrange the details of the device as not to depart from the usua lamp structure now in common use.

A further object of the invention lies in the disposition of the mechanism for operating the curtain, as well as the curtain itself, on the reflector member for the lamp to which they may be readily attached in installation so as to permit of their removal and replacement with this reflector member, not only making the installation simple and inexpensive, but greatly facilitating repair when necessary.

To thisend my invention consists in the combination with a lamp case or body of an ordinary bullet-shaped lamp, and refiector member disposed therein, of a curtain or light diffusing member arranged between these parts, means for causing the curtain to properly spread before the reflector upon movement by an operating member conveniently located with respect to the operator, and means normally tending to retain the curtain in inoperative withdrawn position within the casing aforesaid.

lVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a lamp constructed in accordance with my invention, the casing or body of which is shown in section todisclose more clearly the arrangement of the screen or light diifusing member in withdrawn inoperative position upon the reflector. ,Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing in dotted lines the arrangement of the curtain and its tensioning members when operated into a position for diffusing the light rays of the lamp. Fig. 3 is a view similar .to Fig. l and showing the light diffusing member in its operated or functioning position. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line H of Fig. 1.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Specifically describing my invention and referring to the several figures of the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the lamp casing or body-of the usual type for housing a parabolic reflector member 2. The casing 1 is provided with the bezel or rolled rim 3 to which the glass t is secured, so as to constitute a door for said casing. As shown in the several figures of the drawing the reflector2 is supported in spaced relation to the, casing 1 by means of a flange or web member 5 secured to said reflector in a position extending longitudinally of the same and the easing at its lower or bottom portion is provided with a guide comprising spaced or grooved members 6 in which this web is disposed while at suitable points near the forward end of the reflector are secured to said reflector other supporting members 7 7, one at each side of the web so as to securely'hold the reflector in proper relation to its casing and I preferably employ fastening members or screws 8 which extend through the bottom of the casing into contact with the posts 7, 7 to prevent accidental displacement of thereflector. A light bulb 9 is disposed in the reflector at its rear portion to perform the usual lighting function and a source of elec tric current is connected thereto through the usual conductor 10. To the outer surface of the rear eXtremit of the reflector 2 is secured in any desired manner a bracket or spider 11 supporting in spaced relation to the rear extremity of said reflector a spring actuated roll or spool 12 and to this spool is connected an endless flexible cord or cable 13, which passes from the spool upwardly over the top of the reflector 2 around a grooved guide pulley 14 mounted upon a supporting bracket 15 adjacent the front portion of the reflector and back again to the spring actuated member 12. To this flexible member is connected by stitching or otherwise, at a suitable point in its length the light diflusing screen or curtain 16 which screen is of light flexible fabric, of any desired character, which will difluse the rays of the light 9 when said curtain is disposed in front of the lamp in a manner more clearly described hereinafter.

As hercinbefore mentioned the material is susceptible of being Withdrawn and simultaneously gathered, crumpled. or collapsed, in the space between the casing 1 and the upper surface of the reflector 2 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and to its lower edge is secured the flexible operating member or cord 17 which passes downwardly in front of the reflector into a guiding tube 18 through which it extends to a suitable position convenient for manipulation by the operator of the vehicle on which the lamp is disposed, I

The reflector 2 at its forward extremity has its material bent or flared rearwardly to form a flange 2 and the upper portion of this flange presents a smooth surface over which the curtain 16 is adapted to be drawn by the member 17 and it will be obvious that such smooth surface presents little if any re sistance to such movement of this member. Having in View the flexible nature of the curtain or screen 16 1 preferably employ tension members in the form of springs or similar elastic elements 19, one of which is disposed at each side of the reflector 2 and connected at one end to a lower corner of the curtain and at its other end to the bracket or spider 11 and the purpose of these elastic members is to draw or insure spreading of the curtain when it is moved into its lowered position before the reflector, and as most clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, such members yielding readily as the operating cord is pulled by the operator so as to pass around the lateral edges of the flange 2 of the reflector 2. In this manner the lower portion of the curtain is drawn laterally at its lower portion so as to smooth out the curtain in its operated osition.

To prevent the curtam from being operated a greater distance than is desired over the reflector the upper edge of the same which is cut to curve correspondingly to the curvature of the reflector 2 1 secure to said edge a plurality of stop members of any desired character, designated 20 and which members are adapted to contact with a stop member comprising a ring or band 21 which is disposed about the flange 2' as shown most plainly in Figs. 1 and 2, said band being secured in spaced relation to the flange 2' and connected to the posts 7 7 at its extremities. Thus when the curtain or screen 16 is moved into a position in front of the reflector for ,diffusing the light rays it will assume a position shown in Fig. 3 and as the curtain passes over the flange 2' the stop members 20 facilitate its spreading along the upper edge by reason of the contour of said flange thus insuring the proper spreading of the u per port-ion of this member to accord with the spreading action provided for the lower portion of the curtain as hereinbefore set forth. 1 also employ resilient or elastic members 22, one at each side of the reflector body 2 a nd connected at one end to the upper edge of the curtain 16 and at its other end to a suitable point substantially centrally of the reflector as indicated at 23. These last mentioned elastic members 22 perform a dual function in that they forcibly hold the upper edge of the curtain in its proper spreading relation and also hold the said upper portion in a position which elimlnates likelihood of the curtain or itsistop members 20 from becoming entangled when said curtain is in its normal withdrawnposition as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention refers though it may be mentioned that when the vehicle carrying the lamp or lamps reaches a restricted district where it is desired to diffuse the search light rays the operator pulls the cord 17 rearwardly causing the curtain to move over the flange 2 between the said flange and the band 21, the flexible cord 13 guiding the curtain during such movement, until the stop members 20 abut against said band 21. Said movement is against the tension of the spring actuated member 12 and the cord is, therefore, fastened in any desired manner by the operator to hold the curtain in its operated position where the elastic members 19 and 22 cause the curtain to spread in smooth condition in front of the reflector. When it is again desired to have the full benefit of the light of the lamps the cord 17 may be released and under the action of the spool 12 said curtain will be withdrawn into its normal inoperative position above the reflector as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The arrangement of the parts hereinbefore described in positions secured to or mounted upon the reflector 2 advantageously permits of the removal of said parts with the reflector for access in the event of repair or installation of the entire mechanism and it will be apparent that it is not necessary to specially form the usual elements of a lamp such as the casing and the reflector member in any unusual shape or configuration to enable the adaptation of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: I

1. In a device of the class described, the combination witha lamp body and reflector therefor, of a curtain member disposed between the body and reflector, means normally tending to hold said curtain withdrawn into the lamp in gathered-condition, means for causing said member to spread before the lamp on movement from the withdrawn position, and an operating member connected to the curtain to move the latter in front of the lamp.

2. In a device of-the class described, the combination with a lamp body andreflector therefor, of-a flexible screen normally disposed upon the reflector, means normally holding said screen in retracted position also carried by the reflector, operating means for moving the screen to the front of the lamp body, and tensioning means for spreading the screen in front of the reflector upon operation of said operating means.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a lamp body and a removable reflector therefor, of a screen disposed.

on said reflector for removal therewith, a guide member to which the screen is connected, means to hold the guide member centrally of the reflector, spring means normally tensioning said guide member to hold the screen in withdrawn position, and means for operating said screen to move the same in front of the lamp.

4? In combination, a lamp body, a reflector disposed in said body in spaced relation thereto, light dimming means wholly carried by said reflector and comprising a curtain, operating means for pulling said ourtain in front of the lamp to an operative position, means for withdrawing the curtain from in front of the lamp into the space between the reflector and the lamp body and holding said curtain in gathered condition, means for causing the curtain to spread out as it is drawn in front of the lamp, and means removably holding the reflector in the lampbody whereby said reflector and the dimming means above mentioned may be detached from the body as a unit.

In combination, a lamp body, a reflector removably fitted into said body, and spaced from the latter, light dimming mechanism including a curtain mounted wholly on said reflector intermediate the latter and the said body, and removable With the reflector as a unit, and means to move the curtain into a position in front of the reflector.

6. In combination, a lamp comprising an approximately bullet-shaped'body, a parabolic reflector disposed in said body in spaced relation thereto, dimming mechanism comprising a flexible curtain, means for withrawing and gathering said curtain in an inoperative position between the said reflector and body, and means for pulling said curtain in front of the lamp and simultaneously spreading the same.

7. In combination, a lamp comprising an approximately buttlet-shaped body, a parabolic reflector disposed therein and light dimming mechanism wholly carried by said reflector and comprising a curtain, means for withdrawing and gathering said curtain into a position at a side of the reflector, operating means for pulling said curtain in front of the lamp and simultaneously spreading the same, and means removably holding the reflector in the lamp body afore saidwhereby to permit said reflector and the dimming mechanism mounted thereon to be removed as a .unit.

8. In combination, a lamp comprisin a light inclosing body, a reflector disposef in said body, dimming mechanism comprising a curtain mounted on said reflector in gathered condition, means to pull said curtain in front of the lamp into an operative position, and springs connected with the curtain to spread the same as it is pulled into said operative position.

9. In combination, a lamp. a light inclosing lamp body, a reflector disposed therethe lamp, means for spreading out the curtain as it is pulled into a osition in front of the lamp, and stop mem ers on the curtain arranged to engage with the stop member on the reflector.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a lamp body and reflector therefor, of .a curtain disposed adjacent to the reflector, operating means for drawing ioaoaa 11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a lamp body and reflector therefor, of a curtain disposed in superposed relation to the reflector, operating-means for drawing said curtain in front of the lamp, means for holdin the curtain gathered at a side of the re ector and withdrawn from in front of the lamp, and tensioning members connected to the lower edge of the curtain to facilitate spreading of the curtain at said lower edge and preventing distortion of the same under stress of the operating member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 7 in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM I-IOVEY EDMUNDS. Witnesses:

A. PRELLER, Lrzzm S. BARRON. 

